Nadolo unlikely to win fitness battle to face former club

LEICESTER Tigers head coach Steve Borthwick has provided a fitness update on winger Nemani Nadolo, writes Harry Lyons.

The Fijian powerhouse, right, has missed his side’s last five matches after pulling up just eight minutes into the round eight win over Worcester Warriors in early February.

Without the 33-year-old, who recently signed a new deal at the Mattioli Woods Welford Road, Borthwick’s side has won on three occasions to keep them in the mix for a top four finish.

”We’re seeing how he’s developing. Probably at this point he looks another bit of time away,” said Borthwick.

This seemed to rule the winger out of a potential return against one of his former clubs, Exeter Chiefs, on Saturday.

Nadolo signed for the Chiefs in early 2011, but he would make only five appearances before being released after admitting to a drink-driving offence. Nadolo rebuilt his career with prolific try-scoring spells at NEC Green Rockets in Japan and with Montpellier in the Top 14 either side of two years with the Crusaders in New Zealand.

He has scored four tries in his nine Tigers appearances so far after making his debut in August 2020.

He came out of international retirement in November and marked his first Fiji appearance in nearly two-and-a-half years by scoring a hat-trick against Georgia in December to move to 22 tries in 30 Tests.

In his absence with the leg muscle issue, Leicester have deployed fellow Fijian outside back Kini Murimurivalu on three occasions on the left wing, with Guy Porter getting the other two chances to impress.

“We will make sure when he comes back in, he will be fully fit and in the best shape possible,” said Borthwick.

“He’s working hard with Aled [Walters, head of physical performance] to ensure he’s in the optimum condition that he can be.”